Online News

COM 300COM 300

Peg AchtermanPeg Achterman

May 4 2009May 4 2009

Agenda

From Open Source to Open News?From Open Source to Open News?Multimedia PiecesMultimedia PiecesWikipedia AssignmentWikipedia Assignment

Does the loss of this...

Mean the loss of...

•Was a newspaper delivered to your door when you were growing up?

•What is “news” to you?

•How did you get that information today? And how will you get it in the future?

•NBC on Newspapers

•Bronstein on Colberthttp://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/bronstein/detail?entry_id=38241

What is Journalism?

Journalism is “our day book, our collective Journalism is “our day book, our collective diary, which records our common life. That diary, which records our common life. That which goes unrecorded goes unpreserved which goes unrecorded goes unpreserved … The creation and preservation of … The creation and preservation of collective memory…” is the practice of collective memory…” is the practice of journalism.journalism.

- James W. Carey, Columbia University- James W. Carey, Columbia University

What Is Citizen Journalism?

Why not just call journalism “journalism” — a Why not just call journalism “journalism” — a word the citizens, amateurs, networks, word the citizens, amateurs, networks, distributors and professionals can understand? distributors and professionals can understand? Journalism can be “practiced” in all sorts of ways, Journalism can be “practiced” in all sorts of ways, and by virtually anyone. You don’t even have to and by virtually anyone. You don’t even have to be a citizen or a professional; you could be a be a citizen or a professional; you could be a foreigner, or even an alien from outer space…foreigner, or even an alien from outer space…journalism is not some exclusive club; it’s journalism is not some exclusive club; it’s something that takes many forms…something that takes many forms… - - Max Max KalehoffKalehoff, Nielsen BuzzMetrics, Nielsen BuzzMetrics

Open Source Journalism

Characterized by expanded two-way Characterized by expanded two-way communication between media and readers.communication between media and readers.

With blogging, reader becomes author and With blogging, reader becomes author and author (journalist) becomes reader, ending author (journalist) becomes reader, ending the one-to-many model of communication.the one-to-many model of communication.

Shaping the News Hole

George Allen (Virginia) - 2008 campaignGeorge Allen (Virginia) - 2008 campaignDan Rather (2004)Dan Rather (2004) Josh Marshall – AttorneyGate (2007)Josh Marshall – AttorneyGate (2007)

Today, how would you know...

...if Mt. Rainier erupted?

How about news in your neighborhood?

Or on your campus?

EveryBlock.com

WestSeattleBlog.com

MyBallard.com

Wallyhood.org

Phinneywood.com

The Future & Journalism

Two principles of technological change in communication:

• New technology is never so new as people imagine.

• New technology is so new that people can’t even imagine it.

David Paul Nord (1986)

We constantly compare - television justradio with pictures, cell phone justlike a phone but no wires....

Two questions

• If you were allowed to visit only one website each day, what would it be and why?

• Dream up the “best” way to get news in 2039 - what does it look like?

Summary

Blogging (and social networks) technology is Blogging (and social networks) technology is having a profound impact on Web content having a profound impact on Web content and established media business modelsand established media business models

Neither news nor politics will be the sameNeither news nor politics will be the sameNext week: spotlight on politicsNext week: spotlight on politics